| In this study of Bradford College in Bradford, Massachusetts the research questions are (1) whether the strategy this college is following will help ensure its survival and (2) whether the activities that support the institution's strategy can provide guidance to other small private colleges in the United States.;There are approximately 300 "invisible college" in the United States (Astin and Lee, 1972). Typically these colleges are located in rural areas, rely on tuition revenue for 70 percent or more of operating revenues (Lewis, 1980), have modest endowments, and enroll fewer than 1,000 students. The projected decline in the number of traditional college age students especially threatens this sector of American higher education (Breneman, 1983; McPherson, 1983).;Located in rural Massachusetts, Bradford College enrolls approximately 400 students, has an endowment of under ;American higher education has its origins in small private church-related colleges. These schools, founded by various religious denominations, are spread throughout the United States and have remained small through periods that saw the emergence of large state college and university systems, great private universities, and establishment of community college systems.;Faced with a projected decline in the number of students nationally, small private colleges are turning to activities designed to help ensure their survival. Included among these activities are altering curricular offerings, appealing to new student populations, hosting new programs and institutes on campus, increased marketing efforts, and greater attention to issues associated with student retention. Bradford, as a typical small private college, has undertaken important efforts in all of these areas and these are described in detail along with an evaluation of their success (or failure) to date.;In order to answer the research questions data were gathered from several sources: (1) interviews with many key Bradford officials (including the president, former president, dean, director of admissions, director of alumni, nine faculty members, and administrators on campus), (2) observational visits to the campus, and (3) a thorough reading of all of Bradford's catalogues (beginning in 1803), press releases, two college histories, and other miscellaneous materials.;The analysis includes a discussion of those aspects of Bradford College's activities that have transfer value to other small private colleges in the United States. |
